U.S. says New York congressman Collins indicted for insider trading

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Chris Collins

Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., speaks to the crowd before the arrival of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign stop at the First Niagara Center, Monday, April 18, 2016, in Buff[...]

FILE PHOTO: Representative Chris Collins is seen on a screen as he delivers his nomination speech for Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio

FILE PHOTO: Representative Chris Collins (R-NY) is seen on a screen as he delivers his nomination speech for Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Conventio[...]

FILE PHOTO: Representative Chris Collins flashes thumbs-up before delivering his nomination speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Chris Collins (R-NY) flashes two thumbs-up before delivering his nomination speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 19, 2016. REU[...]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Christopher Collins, a Republican U.S. congressman from New York who was one of President Donald Trump's earliest supporters, was charged on Wednesday with insider trading concerning a drug trial at an Australian biotechnology company on whose board he served.

The indictment came as Collins, 68, was seeking a fourth two-year term. Democrats consider him vulnerable in November's elections, where they hope to recapture the House of Representatives.

Lawyers for Collins, Jonathan Barr and Jonathan New, said in a statement provided by the congressman's office they were confident he would be "completely vindicated and exonerated," and that they will "mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name."

The indictment charges Collins, his son Cameron, and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins' fiancée, with securities fraud, wire fraud and other counts. All three also face civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Lawyers for the other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. All three defendants were expected to appear in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan later Wednesday.

The case related to Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd , where Christopher Collins sat on the board and held a 16.8 percent stake.

Collins was accused of having told his son in June 2017, not long after receiving an email from Innate's chief executive, that the company's trial for its MIS416 drug intended to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis had failed.

The indictment said Cameron Collins then passed news about the trial to Zarsky, and that tips were later given to six of Cameron Collins' or Zarsky's friends or family members.

Authorities said more than 1.78 million Innate shares were sold based on the tips before the company announced the drug trial results on June 26, 2017.

They said this enabled the defendants and the tippees to avoid more than $768,000 of losses when Innate's share price plunged the next day to 3.5 cents from 45 cents.

Innate, which is based in Sydney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.

Collins represents New York's 27th Congressional District, which includes areas surrounding Buffalo and Rochester in the northwestern part of the state.

The criminal case is U.S. v Collins et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 18-cr-00567.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David Gregorio, Howard Goller and Jonathan Oatis)

WASHINGTON (AP) - The standoff over President Donald Trump's $5 billion wall funds deepened Monday, threatening a partial government shutdown in a standoff that has become increasingly common in Washington.

The case may not be resolved in the courts before 2020, legal experts said, which could make it a defining issue in the race for the White House and Congress. Democrats immediately jumped on the Friday night ruling to warn that health care coverage for millions of Americans was at stake due to the Republican-led lawsuit that sought to void popular parts of Obamacare, including protections for pre-existing conditions and a ban on annual lifetime limits. Also at risk are provisions that affect the wider health insurance market, such as keeping adults on their parents' policies until age 26.

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